According to CNN, most of the fires plaguing the Amazon have been caused by humans, with environmental researchers saying they were set by "cattle ranchers and loggers who want to clear and utilise the land, emboldened by the country's pro-business president".

Christian Poirier, the program director of non-profit organisation Amazon Watch also told CNN that, even during dry seasons, the naturally humid rainforest doesn't catch fire easily, and that the destruction is at an "unprecedented" level compared to previous years.

As for why it's of global importance? Often referred to as "the planet's lungs", the Amazon, which is the world's largest tropical rainforest, is responsible for producing more than 20% of the world's oxygen. It is also home to 10% of the world's known biodiversity, with a quarter of western medicine's pharmaceuticals made with ingredients derived from the Amazon.

According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the world does not have forest to spare if it wants to avoid the worst effects of climate change. As Adriane Muelbert, an ecologist who's studied the Amazon deforestation's relationship with climate change, told National Geographic:

"It's a tragedy, a crime against the planet, and a crime against humankind."

How You Can Help Save The Amazon Rainforest From The Fires In Brazil

There are several ways in which you can help to save the Amazon forest and its indigenous population. In addition to raising awareness on social media and making a few lifestyle changes, there are a number of organisations that are committed to preserving the Amazon that you can donate to. Scroll on for five simple ways you can help protect the Amazon.

1. Donate to the Rainforest Action Network

You can help preserve an acre of the Amazon by donating to the Rainforest Action Network. Since 1993, their Protect-an-Acre program has distributed more than one million dollars in grants to over 150 local communities and Indigenous-led organisations to help millions of acres in forests around the world.

3. DONATE TO THE RAINFOREST TRUST TO HELP BUY LAND IN THE RAINFOREST

Since 1988, the Rainforest Trust has saved over 23 million acres of some of our planet's most precious ecosystems by working with partners on the frontlines of conservation. You can help them in their work by donating to help buy land in the rainforest.

4. Sign this Brazilian lawyer's Change.org petition to launch an investigation to find the culprits behind the fires

A Brazilian lawyer based in Rio Branco has created a petition urging authorities to launch an official investigation into the reason for the 83% increase in fires in the region this year to hold the culprits to account. The petition currently has almost 320,000 signatures with a goal of 500,000.

5. Cut back on your paper, wood and meat consumption

Although it's true that cutting back on your consumption of paper, wood and meat won't have an instant impact on the fires that are ravaging the Amazon, they will certainly have a positive long-term effect. Before purchasing any product, you can check that it's rainforest-safe by checking the Rainforest Alliance's website. Reducing your consumption of red meat will help to reduce the world's carbon footprint. Beef, in particular beef found in processed products and fast food, is often sourced from the rainforest.